Thursday, August 28, 2014

Destination Jungle organizes Run for Nature 2014

Sunday 7th September 2014 is a very important day for Destination Jungle. After months of preparation, the day of the RUN for Nature has come. We have used all our resources to sensitize the general public about this event: we have organized promotional materials, registration tables; we have disseminated information and invitation letters. Now the day is coming soon and all our staff is finalizing the preparation.
           
Press Conference Run for Nature 19th August 2014
The idea to organize Run for Nature2014 came in April 2014 when we were discussing about the situation of one of the important but neglected forest of Uganda, Bugoma Forest. Our company Destination Jungle is part of the consortium of Bugoma Forest Conservation Campaign, group which we have launched in April 2014. In this group we share the same passion and interest to make positive and tangible steps in favour of forest conservation, particularly after we spent one year observing the deforestation and illegal logging that was taking place in Bugoma Central Forest Reserve (Hoima District). In our company Mission and core values conservation and engagement in conservation is the priority, therefore we decided to act directly as a responsible civil society actor in regards of Bugoma Forest.
            The idea of organizing the Run for Nature came with the intention to sensitive and to give public visibility to the plague of Bugoma Forest, the destruction of the environment which is taking place there and the suffering of the endangered chimpanzees and other animals living in the forest. The run is a run for fun, open to all public and people can register for 5 or 10 km only. The final objective of the run is to fund raise for an assisted reforestation project of degraded areas of Bugoma Forest. In recent history, according to sources from the National Forestry Authority, no any reforestation – enrichment planting was carried out in Bugoma forest, despite the fact that many acres of forested land was lost due to encroachment and deforestation.
Illegal logging devastates Bugoma Forest
Finally we had our press conference for the launch on 19th August 2014 at the Uganda Society Library. In the occasion, the National Forestry Authority was represented by the Public Relation Manager Mr. Gilbert Kadillo, who explained very well about what the government is doing to improve the central forest reserved managed by the authority. Particularly he also said that Bugoma Forest will be one of the forests receiving the official demarcation exercise to open the boundaries. He also appreciated the idea of the enrichment planting, which is an assisted reforestation, which is needed in a degraded areas, in order to concentrate the recovery of trees species important to the habitat, for example the food to the chimpanzees.

            So here we are to explain to everyone the importance to join our little efforts to make a huge impact. The message is clear: in Bugoma forest and other forests of Uganda is no longer time for illegal deforestation, but for protecting the resources and possibly to create new eco-tourist sites where visitors can enjoy the beauty of the tropical forests. Please you can also join our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bugomaforest/